Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. McAvoy. Senator McClure, and members of the delegation, my name is Jackie McAvoy. I live in Post Falls and I'm a member of Idaho Women in Timber. My husband and I both work in the timber industry and much of our free time is usually spent camping and fishing. Because of my job, I could probably intelligently quote facts and figures relating to the impact that failure to settle the roadless area issue could have on the 20,000 Idahoans like me directly employed in the timber industry. But I'm sure these figures will be cited many times before these hearing are over, therefore, I'm going to focus on one area that affects me personally. My family has gone through the whole spectrum of camping experiences from sleeping bags thrown on the opened ground to a tent, and now to a 23-foot camp trailer. Since most of our leisure time is limited to weekend and holiday camping, we find most of our activities centered in north Idaho. As an avid fly fisherman, my husband’s favorite areas are the rivers, streams, and lakes in the Bonners Ferry area. One of the controversial areas proposed for wilderness designation is the Long Canyon area. I would like to see this area designated for multiple use with limited roads for recreational use and timber removal. With this designation, folks like us could explore the area. I'd like to tell you about an experience that has influenced my feelings about wilderness. A few years ago we were camped near the Bob Marshall Wilderness area in Montana and decided we should take the time to hike into it. I was appalled at what I saw. In some areas the trail was trampled 12 to 10 feet deep. It has rained recently, and water was diverted down the trail like it was a streambed. Off the path deadfalls and diseased trees that has toppled over made exploring dangerous. I couldn't help thinking that it would be interesting to know how many homes could have been built with the dead trees if they had been harvested. It took just a few hours to know this wasn't my type of forest. Just give me the wilderness experience without the wilderness. Thank you.